Valentine
by Empress-Eerian-Sadow
Summary: valentine kisaragi has left wutai seeking his biological father, vincent valentine. but will he find what he's hoping for, or just add to vincent's already long list of sins? Origonal character, sequel to some of my other fics!
1. Chapter 1

_Well, gang, here it is: the story that was never supposed to exist. The following text is the sequel to Everything He Wanted and All She Couldn't Have. It takes place eighteen years after the first two and centers on Valentine—yuffie and Vincent's son. (You will recall, I'm sure, a little boy named Val at the end of the other two fics, ja?)_

_And yes, Ezri, before you ask, this was a product of too much time in customer service again. I was working away and Val tapped me on the shoulder and said something to the effect of "All right, dammit. Here I am—do something with me." So I kind of began musing about some grand quest to find his father. THEN like five minutes later, as I'm still musing, he taps me on the shoulder again and says, "By the way, I'm gay." Talk about a way to complicate a story. Not that I'm a homophobe—my roommate is gay and very proud of it. The whole subject is just so controversial that its going to get hard to deal with in writing, because I plan to work that in. not everyone is going ot be happy with the prince of Wutai's lifestyle choice…_

_But I've bablbed enough for the beginning of one fic! On with the story!

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_

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the Final Fantasy franchise, particularly FF7 or its characters and settings. I am only using them for my personal amusement and the amusement of others. No profit is being made from this work of fanfiction, and I am not planning on selling it to anyone. All that being said, I do own Valentine Kisaragi, Faerin, the four Highwind sisters and any other characters I create that did not appear in the origonal game.**

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"Lord Valentine, your mother calls for you." 

Valentine Kisaragi brushed untaimable black hair from his face as he looked over to his mother's handmaiden Kia. "She is awake?"

"And lucid my lord. Her feaver has finally broken and she bid me to fetch you."

"Tell her I will be there presently."

"Yes, my lord."

For a moment, the young prince of Wutai turned his thoughts inward again as he stared out the window of his mother's office. His mother's near fatal feaver may have broken, but that was no guarntee of wellness. She'd been so very sick…

_What is going to happen to Wutai if Mother dies? What she did after my grandfather's passing is not something I can maintain—I am not fit to rule this place._

_What will I do if she dies? _

He turned from the window and its view of the Pagoda of the Five Mighty Gods. Standing there musing would accomplish nothing but angering his mother—and he did not want that.

Even ill, an angry Yuffie Kisaragi was nothing to be trifled with.

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ok, i know its not much. but i'm exhausted and couldn't manage to type out more than this. hopefully i'll get another chapter or two hammered out tomorrow and up after work. i have four finished already, and will probably get another in at work tomorrow so, this one should move along quickly. of course, i may forsake this one in favor of the chapter of sunrise i have finished... 


	2. Chapter 2

_hmm...i'm noticing that these chapters are shorter than i thought origonally. sorry 'bout that. i refuse to feel too bad about it, but i also know that a short chapter is like getting half a cookie. eventually, they may get longer. or not--dunno, the story writes me after all. not much devolopment here, sorry. i needed the set-up for the next chapter._

_eerian_

**DISCLAIMER: please refer to chapter one for the full disclaimer. **

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Chapter 2

As always, Valentine was struck with a sense of the otherworldly as he entered his mother's room. After his father had died, she had decorated it in the style of the rooms she'd seen during her time in AVALANCHE, and it always seem out of place in the royal manor. The walls were covered in framed photos of her old comrades. The windows were covered in heavy blue cotton drapes with puffy valances. The floor was covered in an elaborate blue and gold rug that covered it like carpet. And the bed was a real four-poster canopy bed.

She'd stopped sleeping on a futon almost the day after his father died. Sometimes, it seemed like his mother was trying to erase all traces of his father from their home.

"Val is that you?" His mother asked from her hiding place inside the canopy of her bed. She sounded frail; her voice barley more than a whisper. She was only audible because her room was so silent.

"Yes, mother, its me." He tried to keep the worry and anger he was feeling out of his own voice. Truthfully, he wanted to lash out at the disease that was trying to take his mother from him.

"Come over here, sweetie." She always called him that. It was an expression she'd picked up from one of her AVALANCHE friends when he was little. It felt out of place on the streets of Wutai, and he hated it, but here in his mother's room, the endearment felt right.

He walked to the bed. "Kia said you wanted to see me."

"I do." Val wished that he could see her face through the heavy curtains she kept on the bed, but her disease ravaged body embarrassed her, and she insisted on keeping them closed. "There's something I need to tell you. Before its too late."

So, Yuffie was afraid she was dying, too. That made Val even angrier; when she was younger—and healthier—Yuffie Kisaragi would never have feared death.

Valentine didn't say anything for a long moment. Finally, he asked, "What do you want to talk about?"

"Your father."


	3. Chapter 3

_Sorry to everyone if you felt like I left the last chapter at a cliffhanger! It wasn't supposed to be. I had planned on having chapter 3 up the same night. Sadly, sleepiness kicked my butt and I abandoned my ambition for that. And then stuff happened yesterday, as it does, and here it didn't get up until today._

_But at least its here. Enjoy!_

_Eerian_

Chapter 3 

Even an hour later, Yuffie's words still made him feel ill.

"_Atnum," she had said, holding out a framed photo to him, "Isn't your real father."_

"_What?" He'd asked, taking the photo and looking down at it._

_He dropped the photo—of a man who could have been his twin—as if it had bitten him. The frame cracked as it hit the bed frame, and his mother had given him a disapproving glare._

"_Who is he, Mother?" His voice shook slightly as he said this._

"_Vincent Valentine." She said the name with such an affectionate longing that it made Val's heart ache involuntarily. "We were in AVALANCHE together. He's your father."_

He'd left then, too stunned and hurt to listen to a true explanation. Not wanting to find out that his mother—and himself—had been abandoned or worse.

"Valentine?" His thoughts were interrupted by a soft, masculine voice.

Val turned to see his lover, Faerin, enter his bedroom and slid the door closed behind him. The older man brushed a lock of brown hair back from his green eyes. "Your mother was worried about you. What happened?"

"You spoke with Mother?"

"Briefly. I think she's still a little uncomfortable about us." Faerin shook his head. "But you didn't answer my question."

"I know." Val turned to regard Faerin. The other man gave him a small, encouraging smile. "Promise you won't tell anyone?"

"All right. But, Val, what's going on?" Faerin reached out a hand to Val, but drew it back, not sure how to comfort the Wutain prince.

"My mother just told me that Atnum wasn't my father."

"That's it?" Confusion shone plainly in Faerin's green eyes. "You flipped out and scared your mom half to death over that?"

"You don't understand. You weren't raised believing that someone else was you father." Valentine turned to stare back out the window.

"You're right. I wasn't. I knew that mom and dad adopted me from day one. Lots of people did that after Meteor." He shrugged. "I still don't see why you're so freaked out."

"She told me who was."

"So? I would think that's good." Valentine would have been angry with his lover if Faerin hadn't looked so genuinely confused.

"Its just…Leviathan, I don't even know why I'm so upset."

The prince turned so that his head and back were resting against the window and closed his eyes. Now, Faerin did pull Valentine into a hug.

"Look, baby," he said, pressing a kiss into the younger man's hair. "I think you need to get the whole story from you mom before you flip out."

Val's reply was a muffled "Yeah" as he relaxed into Faerin's chest.

"Val?"

"Hmm?"

"You'll go talk to her, right." It wasn't a question.

"Will you come with me?" Faerin was surprised by the fear he head in Val's voice.

"As long as your mom doesn't mind."

"Thanks" He gave Faerin a soft kiss and a tiny smile. "Let's get moving before I change my mind."


	4. Chapter 4

_well, there isn't really much to say about this one. yuffie finally tells her story to val. that's really about it._

_r&r if you so choose._

_eerian_****

DISCLAIMER: see chapter one for disclaimer

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Chapter 4

"Mother?" Val peered cautiously around the door and into Yuffie's room.

"Come in, Val." She was standing at her window, her back to them, as he and Faerin entered the room. Her body was thin and frail, broken by her fever. It seemed like staring at the photo of Vincent was all she could manage.

"I'm sorry I ran away, Mother." He looked down as she turned from the window to look at him. "And I'm sorry I broke the picture frame."

Her face was lined by age and sickness, and she looked at least twenty years older than her forty one. But the smile that touched her lips and lit her eyes was genuine and radiated a youthful aura, even if her body no longer showed it.

"Its all right, Val. Although I didn't expect you back so soon."

"Faerin convinced me to come back." Despite the fact that she'd accepted his apology and forgiven him, Val didn't look up.

"Valentine, look at me." Yuffie's voice was soft and weary, but her tone brooked no argument. Val's head snapped up.

Yuffie crossed the room and took his left hand with her right. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

Val worked his jaw a little, trying to figure out how to word his jumbled thoughts. Faerin put a comforting hand on the prince's back as he pulled himself together.

Finally, in a strained voice, Valentine asked, "Why isn't he here?"

Yuffie nodded as if she'd expected this question. "Because my father was a selfish bastard."

Val was shocked to hear his mother speak so ill of the dead. His surprise must have shown on his face, because his mother gave him a quizzical look.

"What?" she asked. "He was. Wutai would be a very different place if he hadn't been."

She moved over to her bed. "Come sit down, and I'll tell you what happened."

"Shouldn't we go to the office?" Val asked.

"Ugh! No. if we go to the office, they'll think I'm well enough for paperwork and petty court intrigues," Yuffie waved her free hand in the air. "I'm not ready for that yet."

"Mother?" he was surprised by her words.

"I am getting better, Val. Its just being painfully slow."

"Oh." He surprised himself and his mother by pulling her into a hug. "I've been so worried."

"I know." She pulled back from the hug. "Leviathan, you've gotten so _tall_."

Yuffie and Val just looked at each other for a long moment, trying to figure out how to proceed. Finally, Yuffie broke the silence by asking, "Faerin, would you ask Kia to bring in some drinks? We'll be here for awhile."

* * *

After Kia brought the drinks and Faerin carried in some chairs from his room, Yuffie finally began her story.

"I met Vincent during the Sephiroth crisis. I'd been with AVALANCHE for about two weeks then. We found him in a coffin in basement of a mansion in Nibelheim."

"A coffin?" Val interrupted.

"Yeah. He'd been experimented on by the same scientist that made Sephiroth. Then the guy locked him up in a coffin for, like, twenty-five years. He started traveling with us so he could get revenge on Hojo.

"I'd just turned sixteen. He was fifty two. He didn't like to socialize with all of us, but there was _something_ between us.

"He came with me to Wutai after we defeated Sephiroth. He stayed there for a year and a half before he just left one day. He didn't tell me why he was going, just told me goodbye and left me standing on the hand of the Da-Cho statue.

"I spent the six years after that being an ambassador for my father and wondering what had happened to Vincent."

Yuffie paused in her narrative and looked at Val and Faerin, who had their fingers linked together on the arm of Val's chair. She gave them a shaky smile and took a deep breath.

"You two look so sweet together. I'm glad you found someone to be happy with."

"Mother? Weren't you happy with father?" Val's fingers tightened around Faerin's, as if he was afraid of the answer.

Yuffie shook her head. "Not really. I didn't love him. I only married him because my father arranged the marriage. That was just about five years after Vincent left Wutai.

"I saw Vincent again just after our first anniversary. I'd been on Mt. Nibel doing a favor for Reeve at the old reactor. When I was driving to Rocket Town, it started storming. I found Vincent by the side of the road and gave him a ride. The storm had grounded the Highwind, so we got stuck together in the only room left at the inn. That night, we did more than just catching up.

"I didn't tell your father what had happened until about a month later, when I found out I was pregnant." She stopped her narrative again and closed her eyes.

"Is that all?" Valentine leaned forward in his chair, while shooting a look at Faerin. "You didn't tell us why he isn't here."

"No, that isn't all." Yuffie opened her eyes again. "I just needed a rest."

"Vincent isn't here, because Godo wouldn't let him marry me when I was seventeen. My father told him to leave the country, and that he'd be killed if he ever came back.

"You were two-and-a-half when he finally came back to Wutai. Godo had been dead for about three months.

"He was here for a couple of hours. It was the first, and only, time he's seen you in person. He left because he thought I'd replaced him with another man." She sighed.

"Mother? Why didn't he come back after father died?"

"I dunno, sweetie. I wish he would though."

Val closed his eyes, his face set in a serous mask. "Do you love him?"

"Yeah." A tear slipped down Yuffie's cheek. "I still love him."


	5. Chapter 5

**don't feel the need to leave any notes but the disclaimer notice. **

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine. see chapter one for full disclaimer.**

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Val had been subdued for the hour after he and Faerin had left his mother in her room. Faerin was starting to get a bit worried.

They were sitting in Yuffie's rock garden when Val finally brought up the subject of Vincent.

"I want to find him, Fae."

"Do what?" Not the most eloquent response he could have come up with, but Val's words had taken him by surprise.

"I said I want to find him. I want to meet him at least once, and hear his side of the story." Val looked up at Faerin. "Will you come with me?"

"Of course. You couldn't leave Wutai without me. What are you gonna tell your mom?"

The prince shrugged. "That I'm going to go find Vincent. I don't see why I shouldn't tell her the truth."

Faerin stood up from his bench and extended a hand to Valentine. Val took it with a quizzical expression. Faerin pulled him to his feet and into an embrace.

"You're a brave man, Valentine Kisaragi. I'm proud to be your partner."

Val responded to this praise with a spirited kiss.

They left Wutai at noon the next day. Yuffie had insisted on making arrangements with her old friend Cid Highwind to get them transportation to the mainland. The old pilot owed her a favor, she said, and the least he could do was give her sons a lift.

Faerin had smiled when she called him her son.

Then, she'd practically shoved them out the door to prepare for their trip.

Cid had answered her call in style. When they arrived on the airship landing pad Yuffie had installed years ago, Val and Faerin were greeted by the sight of the Highwind herself. The boarding ladder was down, and they could hear the engines humming in standby mode.

Standing by the ladder, smoking a cigarette, was a young blond woman, who seemed vaguely familiar to Val.

"You our ride?" Faerin asked as they came within earshot.

"Yep." The girl took one final drag on her cigarette, then tossed the butt off to the side. "Tabitha Highwind. Where we headin'?"

_She must be Cid's daughter. That's why she seems familiar._ Val glanced over to Faerin. "Where do you think we should start? You know more about the world than I do."

"Dad's got some contacts in Junon that might be able to help," Fae replied. "That should be a good springboard."

"All right." Val turned back to the girl. "We're heading to Junon."

"Cool," Tabitha replied. "It'll probably take about an hour to get there—unless you really need me to push the engines." Her tone said that she hoped they did.

"No, that's fine," Val told her.

"Isn't an hour a bit fast?" Faerin asked.

"Not in the Highwind," she told them. "Climb on. But if you feel the need to puke after we get going, do it in the goddamn head. I don't need that shit stinking up my ship!"


	6. Chapter 6

_i know its been a while since i managed to update this. chapter 6 here was sitting stagnant in the notebook, cause i scrapped half the origonal version. it sucked, and it didn't fit in with the rest of the story. i went writing crazy on it at work yesterday tho, and finished six and half of seven. so expect another update soon!_

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**Chapter 6**

As promised, Tabitha got them to Junon in just over one hour. She was actually pretty upset over the extra five minutes they'd taken. Faerin had laughed at her anger, and Val had tried to assure her that they were in no real hurry.

"Bullshit," Tabitha replied. "Your mom wouldn't have asked for me if you weren't' in a hurry."

Val didn't have a reply for that. _He_ wasn't really in a hurry, but perhaps his mother was. Maybe she was expecting something particular to come from this trip.

They disembarked in Upper Junon on the old airstrip, since it was the only one large enough to accommodate the Highwind. When they stepped down onto the weathered concrete, Valentine was surprised to see three people in blue suits waiting for them.

"Are those Turks?" he asked.

"Yep," Faerin replied.

"Why would the Turks be waiting for us?"

"Oh, you know. Saying hi to the boss' son, giving me my new ID card, stuff like that."

"Huh?"

Faerin grinned. "Let's just say I wear a blue suit to work, when I'm not in Wutai."

"You're a Turk!" Valentine froze in shock. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Keep your voice down, babe. I work in Wutai under cover." Fae grabbed his arm and pulled him forward. "We can discuss this later."

"We'd better." Val allowed himself to be dragged forward reluctantly.

Behind them, Tabitha shouted from the deck, "Call me if you need a lift anywhere else!"

"We will!" Fae shouted back.

valentine found it hard to fake the excitement hat his boyfriend was radiating. Something in him was feeling betrayed by the information that Faerin had withheld—and he found himself wondering what else the Turk was hiding.

"Rude! 'Lena!" Faerin called out, running toward his co-workers.

"Hey, Faerin!" One of them—a blond woman who looked a bit older than Yuffie—called back.

Val hung back from the reunion, taking the opportunity to assess the Turks in front of him. There was a tall bald black-skinned man who he knew was Rude—they'd met a few times when the Turks were in Wutai on business. Then there was the small blond, who he didn't know. She didn't look very intimidating, and valentine couldn't imagine that someone like that saw much fieldwork outside Junon. The third was a young man, not any older than himself, who stayed a bit apart from the other Turks as if he was uncomfortable in their presence.

"Hey, Val, hurry up!" Val picked up his pace a bit at Faerin's call and jogged to the cluster of Turks at the edge of the airstrip. Fae pulled the prince to his side with an arm around his waist.

"Guys," Fae said, "This is my boyfriend—"

"Valentine Kisaragi," Rude interrupted, nodding to him.

At his lover's startled look, Valentine replied, "Rude and I have met."

"Oh." Faerin moved on with his conversation like nothing had happened. "Val, this is Elena." The blond woman nodded. "And the rookie…"

"Corris," the final Turk supplied.

"Thanks." Fae nodded to him. "He started last year after I came back to Wutai from my vacation. First time we've met, actually."

Elena laughed, a sound that reminded Valentine of his mother when she'd been well. "God, Faerin, you sound so much like Reno."

"I know," Faerin replied. "Mom says the same thing. So, how come you guys are here?"

Wordlessly, Rude held out a manila folder to him. With the speed of a trained professional, Faerin went from laughter to business as he took the folder.

"What's this?"

"Your new assignment," Elena told him. "Effective immediately."

"I'm being taken off my Wutai assignment?"

Rude nodded. "Reno thinks this is more important. Tseng will be covering Wutai while you're gone."

Faerin opened the folder, absently noting the ID badge clipped to the front and scanned through his assignment. "You read this?" he asked the other Turks.

"Yeah," Elena replied. "And its pretty serious, but you're the only one we can spare right now."

"And he trained me," Fae added.

"And he trained you," Rude agreed. "That gives you some insight to what might be going on."

Valentine couldn't help but feel left out by the whole conversation.

"I've gotta talk to Reno about this." Faerin looked up at the elder Turks. "I'm going to need you guys to help sneak Val into HQ."

"You can't take a civilian into headquarters!" Corris protested.

"Lord Valentine is hardly a civilian," Rude told the rookie. "And he has a large stake in this as well."

"Consider him inside," Elena added.

"Good," Faerin told them. " 'Cause I think I'm gonna need him on this one."

Val suddenly wished that he knew what was going on.


	7. Chapter 7

_i bet some of you thought that i'd forgotten or abandoned this fic. not so! i just couldn't get this chapter and the one following it to come out right. what i finally settled on is version four or five of chapter seven. chapter eight should be up in the next couple of days._

_enjoy!  
eerian_**

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**Chapter 7**

Corris protested Valentine's presence all the way back to headquarters. When they got to the building, he threatened to report them all to President Tuesti.

Faerin stopped walking at this. "You're going to what?"

"I'll report you," Corris replied, stepping up to the slender brunette. "Civilians are strictly prohibited inside Turk headquarters."

Faerin didn't allow himself to be intimidated by the younger Turk. "Then you better get going, because you can't stop me, _rookie._"

Corris glared at Faerin for a long moment, then stormed off.

"This isn't going to get you into trouble, is it?" Valentine asked.

"Not once Reeve finds out who you are," Elena replied. "Fae, now's a great time to test out that new ID."

Fae pulled his ID card out of the folder and swiped it through the door's card lock. The green light on the panel blinked twice and Rude pulled the door open. The bald man gestured for everyone to enter before him. They entered the building to be greeted by a fourth blue-suited Turk.

"Reno is waiting upstairs for you." The fourth Turk was older than the others, with long black hair going to grey at the temples and a small ceremonial mark in the center of his forehead. "Where is Corris?"

"Trying to put me on report with Reeve," Faerin told him, walking to the elevator.

"That will not go over well," the older Turk replied, pressing the up button. "He is upset over Lord Valentine, I presume?"

Valentine felt distinctly uncomfortable as the older man's gaze fell on him. This Turk had him at a total disadvantage, just by knowing the prince's name and not exchanging his own. He looked down at the floor, not sure what he should do or say.

"Let up, Tseng," Elena said, coming to his rescue as the elevator arrived. "You're scaring him."

Tseng gave Valentine as slight bow. "My apologies. That was not my intent."

"Its all right," Val replied. "I just don't know what's going on. And I don't want Fae to get in trouble for me being here."

"Do not be worried about that," Tseng said, stepping into the elevator. Everyone else followed. "Reno wanted you here, and Reeve will see why your presence was necessary."

"I'm glad he will," the prince mumbled.

"Relax, Val," Fae put in. "Reno and I will explain everything once we get upstairs."

* * *

"Have you stopped by the house to see your mother yet?"

"Huh?" Faerin stopped in the Head Turk's office door so suddenly that Valentine almost ran into him. "This isn't a social call, Reno."

"Right," Reno replied, flipping closed the folder he was looking at. "Work then. I'm not taking you off your new assignment."

"That's not why I'm here," the brunette said, stepping into the office. Val followed.

"Wow," Reno said, looking the prince over. "I know you told me he looked like Vince, but he could _be_ him."

"I know. Val, this is my dad, Reno. He's the Head Turk. Dad, Valentine Kisaragi, crown prince of Wutai."

Valentine nodded to the redhead. "Its good to finally meet you, sir. Now, I would appreciate it if one of you two would explain what is going on?"

"Sit down," Reno told him. "Tell me what you know."

Valentine took one of the chairs arranged in front of the desk, Faerin took the other. "I don't really know anything. Everyone was pretty tight lipped about Fae's new assignment."

"Did Faerin tell you anything about his assignment in Wutai?"

Val shook his head. "I didn't even know he was a Turk until today."

"Good. I don't have to worry about Tseng being compromised while he's there then." Reno leaned back in his chair. "Before I tell you anything, I have to be sure you aren't going to tell anyone anything that's said in this room."

Val felt his discomfort increase at Reno's words. "I will say nothing."

"Fine. I'll have you sign a non-disclosure statement later. The basics are this: three weeks ago, our top agent went rogue. We haven't heard from the agent we sent after him for over seventy two hours." Reno looked at his son. "Our rogue agent trained Faerin, so I'm sending him out after him."

Valentine arched an eyebrow. "So, what does this have to do with me?"

"Our rogue Turk," Faerin said gravely, "Is Vincent Valentine."


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: hey, gang! i know its been a while since i updated anything and i'm sure you were starting to wonder about me. no worries, i'm fine. life's just been happening. in fact, i'm supposed to be at a party right now, but i have no transportation._

_anyhoo, this is chapter 8, which is ungodly short. and which i forgot to post earlier--its apparantly been typed for about two months. (right around the time i got kicked out of my apartment, which explains it absence from the world.) but you all get to have it and chapter 9 in the same day, so i don't feel bad about the length._**

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**Chapter 8**

Valentine felt his stomach lurch as the implications of Faerin's statement sunk in. "You knew.

"You knew that Vincent would be here when I said I wanted to look for him."

"Yeah," Faerin replied.

"Did you know he was my father, too?"

"Yeah, I knew. I didn't know how, but I knew. Part of the duties of the Turk assigned to Wutai has been to keep an eye on you and your mom."

"Why didn't you _tell_ me?" Val didn't even try to hide the hurt and betrayal he was feeling.

"I was going to," Faerin said weakly. "After you met him. It wasn't my place to say anything before that."

"What else have you been hiding from me?"

"Nothing."

"Excuse me, gentlemen," Reno interrupted. "But I really don't need you two fighting in my office. My secretary gossips enough as it is."

Valentine was still fuming, but he leaned back in his chair and glared at Reno. Faerin looked down at the floor, unable to meet the gaze of his father or his lover. Reno shook his head as he looked at both of them.

"Its like this, Val," the Head Turk continued. "Faerin's going, whether you two have worked this out or not. A rogue Turk isn't someone I can just let wander the countryside.

"I don't even have to ask to know that he wants you as his backup, and I'm fine with that. But, knowing what you know now, do you still want to go after him?"

"You knew too, didn't you?" Val asked.

"Kid, I think you were probably the only one who didn't know," Reno replied. "I dunno why your mom held out on ya for so long. Are you in or not?"

"I'm in, even if its just so that I can get some straight answers about what's going on."

"Good." Reno grinned as if the younger men hadn't just had a spat in his office. "Now you two head home and get ready. I expect you to have this worked out by the time I clock out."

"Right," Faerin muttered sarcastically, standing up. "You've never seen him mad at me before."


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: and here's chapter nine, which i wasn't sure was even going to get posted before i moved into my own place. the origonal draft of the chapter is in my storage unit, since i don't have space to keep all my work here at mom and dad's house. but, i decided to go ahead with it anyway, since i wasn't happy with the first draft at all. hopefully, it looks good to you all, because i have my doubts about it. its really just a filler chapter anyway._

**_DISCLAIMER: (since i think i've forgotten it for a couple of chapters) ff7 isn't mine. i'm not making money here, not planning to either. please see chapter one for full disclaimer._**

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Chapter 9

The elevator ride back downstairs was as tense as it could be without Faerin having told Val that he was cheating on him on top of all his other secrets. He wished that he could go back and re-write the last five years, and be completely honest with his lover from the beginning. And he wished that he could find a way to apologize to him for withholding information.

"I understand why you did it," Valentine said, startling him out of his thoughts.

"What? You do?"

The prince nodded. "I don't like that you hid things from me, but I understand why you did it. When we met, I was too young to understand what you did--so you didn't tell me you were a Turk, no matter how close our friendship might have been. And after we became lovers, it could have been dangerous. It hurts, but I understand.

"And I understand why you didn't tell me about Vincent. If you had told me that you knew he was here, I probably would have gotten scared and not come. And finding him is something that I _need_ to do."

Faerin nodded. "Thanks for understanding."

"But we're not done discussing this."

The Turk gave his lover a half grin. "Of course not. But I don't feel so much like you're going to skin me as soon as we get to my house."

"Don't be too sure of that," Val said as the door slid open on the lobby. "I'm still pretty mad at you."

Faerin took the lead when they stepped back onto the sidewalk outside. Valentine gave a token resistance when the brunette took his hand and laced his fingers around the prince's. The Turk gave his lover a grin and told him, "No one will care. Not in this part of town, anyway."

After the initial protest, valentine bowed to his lover's judgment. Having lived here, Faerin was in a much better position to judge the public's reaction to their relationship than he was.

"Its not far," the older man added. "Just a little over two blocks. Mom's gonna be thrilled to meet you finally."

"You talk about me a lot?" Val gave him an amused look.

"Yeah." Faerin didn't even have the decency to look embarrassed. "I do. So does Vincent."

"How can he? He doesn't even know me."

"Don't be like that, baby. He knows you through everything we've all told him since you were little. You should see his office--pictures of you and your mom everywhere. He may not know your voice, but he does know you--and he loves you." Turk looked deeply into the prince's eyes, assessing the bitterness he saw there. "He never wanted to leave you guys alone, he just never knew he could go home."

Valentine was quiet for a long time, digesting Faerin's words. If his lover was right, his biological father really had wanted his son--he had just never been able to come back and claim him.


End file.
